The Serpents Of Summer

May 20, 1992

Copperheads, rattlesnakes and water moccasins, the most common snakes around here, bite when provoked but really just want to be left alone. They are found in ditches and swamps.

If you are bitten, do not cut the wound to suck the poison; that only gives the poison more places to spread. Tourniquets, properly applied, cut off the flow of blood, and that kills tissue faster than venom. Instead, apply a cold compress and a loose bandage and try to stay calm while seeking medical help.